PGA Tour

The PGA Tour is an organization that is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA. It operates the USA's main men's professional golf tours. Its name is officially rendered in all caps as ?PGA TOUR? by the organization itself.

The structure of the PGA Tour season

Outline of the season

The table below illustrates the structure of the PGA TOUR season. The events shown are for 2005, but there are only minor variations in the overall pattern from one year to the next. Tournaments sometimes change venue, and quite often change name, especially when they get a new sponsor, but the principal events have fixed and traditional places in the schedule, and this determines the rhythm of the season. The PGA Tour's year begins with the Mercedes Championships, whose field is limited to tournament winners from the previous year.

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Three of the four majors take place in eight weeks between June and August. This threatens to make the last two and a half months of the season anti-climactic, as some of the very top players compete less from this point on. Interest is sustained by the following factors:

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• The race to top the money list. However, quite often this is clinched well before the end of the season.
• The race to finish in the top 30 of the money list, so as to qualify for the lucrative and prestigious finale to the season, the Tour Championship, whose winner earns a three-year exemption.
• The scramble of the less successful members of the tour to make the top 125, in order to retain their Tour card for the following season. Players who are on the margins of the top 125 often play every week at this time of year.
• The last several events are known collectively as the "Fall Finish". Points are awarded for top ten places in these events and the player who accumulates most points receives additional prize money.

There are 48 events in 44 weeks, including one team event with no prize money, so there are 47 events with prize money. Most members of the tour play between 20 and 30 tournaments in the season. The geography of the tour is determined by the weather. It starts in Hawaii in January, spends most of its first two months in California and Arizona, then moves to Florida. In April it begins to drift north. The summer months are spent mainly in the Northeast and the Midwest, and in the fall the tour heads south again.

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As of 2005 there is speculation that the Tour is looking to make significant changes to its schedule. These might include moving The Players Championship to May so as to have a marquee event in five consecutive months, and possibly reducing the total number of events in order to increase the number of events with top quality fields. Any such changes will not take place before 2007 and no announcement is expected before negotiations on new television deals in Fall 2005 at the earliest.

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Schedule

The status designations shown in the table are explained in the next subsection. The weekly numbers are those used by the Official World Golf Rankings, which apply to events on all the main men's golf tours.

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WeekTournamentStateStatusWinner

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2Mercedes ChampionshipsHawaiiSmall field - West Coast SwingStuart Appleby

Related Topics:
Mercedes Championships - Hawaii - Stuart Appleby

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3Sony Open in HawaiiHawaiiRegular - West Coast SwingVijay Singh

Related Topics:
Sony Open in Hawaii - Hawaii - Vijay Singh

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4Buick InvitationalCaliforniaRegular - West Coast SwingTiger Woods

Related Topics:
Buick Invitational - California - Tiger Woods

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5Bob Hope Chrysler ClassicCaliforniaRegular - West Coast SwingJustin Leonard

Related Topics:
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic - California - Justin Leonard

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6FBR OpenArizonaRegular - West Coast SwingPhil Mickelson

Related Topics:
FBR Open - Arizona - Phil Mickelson

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7AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AmCaliforniaRegular - West Coast SwingPhil Mickelson

Related Topics:
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am - California

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8Nissan OpenCaliforniaRegular - West Coast SwingAdam Scott (36 holes)

Related Topics:
Nissan Open - California - Adam Scott

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9WGC-Accenture Match Play ChampionshipCaliforniaWorld Golf Championship - West Coast SwingDavid Toms

Related Topics:
WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship - California - World Golf Championship - David Toms

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9Chrysler Classic of TucsonArizonaSecondary - West Coast SwingGeoff Oglivy

Related Topics:
Chrysler Classic of Tucson - Arizona - Geoff Oglivy

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10Ford Championship at DoralFloridaRegular - Southern SwingTiger Woods

Related Topics:
Ford Championship at Doral - Florida

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11The Honda ClassicFloridaRegular - Southern SwingPadraig Harrington

Related Topics:
The Honda Classic - Florida - Padraig Harrington

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12Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MastercardFloridaRegular - Southern SwingKenny Perry

Related Topics:
Bay Hill Invitational Presented by Mastercard - Florida - Kenny Perry

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13THE PLAYERS ChampionshipFloridaSpecial - Southern SwingFred Funk

Related Topics:
THE PLAYERS Championship - Florida - Fred Funk

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14BellSouth ClassicGeorgiaRegular - Southern SwingPhil Mickelson

Related Topics:
BellSouth Classic - Georgia

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15The Masters (April)GeorgiaMajor - Southern SwingTiger Woods

Related Topics:
The Masters - Georgia - Major

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16MCI HeritageSouth CarolinaRegularPeter Lonard

Related Topics:
MCI Heritage - South Carolina - Peter Lonard

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17Shell Houston OpenTexasRegularVijay Singh

Related Topics:
Shell Houston Open - Texas

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18Zurich Classic of New OrleansLouisianaRegularTim Petrovic

Related Topics:
Zurich Classic of New Orleans - Louisiana - Tim Petrovic

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19Wachovia ChampionshipNorth CarolinaRegularVijay Singh

Related Topics:
Wachovia Championship - North Carolina

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20EDS Byron Nelson ChampionshipTexasRegularTed Purdy

Related Topics:
EDS Byron Nelson Championship - Texas - Ted Purdy

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21Bank of America ColonialTexasRegularKenny Perry

Related Topics:
Bank of America Colonial - Texas

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22FedEx St. Jude ClassicTennesseeRegularJustin Leonard

Related Topics:
FedEx St. Jude Classic - Tennessee

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23the Memorial TournamentOhioRegularBart Bryant

Related Topics:
The Memorial Tournament - Ohio - Bart Bryant

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24Booz Allen ClassicMarylandRegularSergio Garcia

Related Topics:
Booz Allen Classic - Maryland - Sergio Garcia

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25U.S. Open Championship (June)variesMajorMichael Campbell

Related Topics:
U.S. Open Championship - Major - Michael Campbell

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26Barclays ClassicNew YorkRegularPadraig Harrington

Related Topics:
Barclays Classic - New York

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27Cialis Western OpenIllinoisRegularJim Furyk

Related Topics:
Cialis Western Open - Illinois - Jim Furyk

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28John Deere ClassicIllinoisRegularSean O'Hair

Related Topics:
John Deere Classic - Illinois - Sean O'Hair

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29British Open Championship (July)United KingdomMajorTiger Woods

Related Topics:
British Open Championship - United Kingdom - Major

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29B.C. OpenNew YorkSecondaryJason Bohn

Related Topics:
B.C. Open - New York - Jason Bohn

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30U.S. Bank Championship in MilwaukeeWisconsinRegularBen Crane

Related Topics:
U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee - Wisconsin - Ben Crane

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31Buick OpenMichiganRegularVijay Singh

Related Topics:
Buick Open - Michigan

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32The INTERNATIONALColoradoRegularRetief Goosen

Related Topics:
The INTERNATIONAL - Colorado - Retief Goosen

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33PGA Championship (August)variesMajorPhil Mickelson

Related Topics:
PGA Championship - Major

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34WGC-NEC InvitationalOhioWorld Golf ChampionshipsTiger Woods

Related Topics:
WGC-NEC Invitational - Ohio - World Golf Championships

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34Reno-Tahoe OpenNevadaSecondaryVaughn Taylor

Related Topics:
Reno-Tahoe Open - Nevada - Vaughn Taylor

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35Buick ChampionshipConnecticutRegularBrad Faxon

Related Topics:
Buick Championship - Connecticut - Brad Faxon

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36Deutsche Bank ChampionshipMassachusettsRegular - Fall FinishOlin Browne

Related Topics:
Deutsche Bank Championship - Massachusetts - Olin Browne

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37Bell Canadian OpenCanadaRegular - Fall FinishMark Calcavecchia

Related Topics:
Bell Canadian Open - Canada - Mark Calcavecchia

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3884 LUMBER ClassicPennsylvaniaRegular - Fall FinishJason Gore

Related Topics:
84 LUMBER Classic - Pennsylvania - Jason Gore

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39The Presidents Cupvaries - not always in the U.S.Team eventUSA

Related Topics:
The Presidents Cup - USA

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39Valero Texas OpenTexasSecondary - Fall FinishRobert Gamez

Related Topics:
Valero Texas Open - Texas - Robert Gamez

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40Chrysler Classic of GreensboroNorth CarolinaRegular - Fall FinishK.J. Choi

Related Topics:
Chrysler Classic of Greensboro - North Carolina - K.J. Choi

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41WGC-American Express Championshipvaries - not always in the U.S.World Golf Championships - Fall Finish

Related Topics:
WGC-American Express Championship - World Golf Championships

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41Southern Farm Bureau ClassicMississippiSecondary - Fall Finish

Related Topics:
Southern Farm Bureau Classic - Mississippi

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42Michelin Championship at Las VegasNevadaRegular - Fall Finish

Related Topics:
Michelin Championship at Las Vegas - Nevada

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43FUNAI Classic at the WALT DISNEY WORLD ResortFloridaRegular - Fall Finish

Related Topics:
FUNAI Classic at the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort - Florida

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44Chrysler ChampionshipFloridaRegular - Fall Finish

Related Topics:
Chrysler Championship - Florida

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45THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-ColaGeorgiaSmall field - Fall Finish

Related Topics:
THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola - Georgia

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Categories of event on the PGA Tour

• Majors: The four leading annual events in world golf. See: Majors. The British Open is the only PGA TOUR event played outside of the United States and Canada.
• World Golf Championships: A set of events co-sanctioned by the PGA European Tour which attract the leading golfers from all over the world, including those who are not members of the PGA TOUR. See: World Golf Championships.
• Special: The "special" status of the Players Championship is based on the fact that it is the only event apart from the majors and the World Golf Championships which attracts entries from almost all of the World's elite golfers. Official recognition is given to its unique position in the sport by the Official World Golf Rankings, which allocate it a fixed number of points (which is 20% less than for a major), whereas the number of points allocated to "regular" events is dependent on the rankings of the players who enter each year, and is only determined once the entry list is finalized. It is increasingly referred to by the media as the "Fifth major".
• Small field: The season starts and finishes with two elite events for fields which are about 30-strong instead of the usual 150 or so.
• Team: A United States team of 12 elite players competes in the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup in alternate years. The Ryder Cup is arguably the highest profile event in golf, outranking the majors. The Presidents Cup is less well established, but is still the main event of the week when it is played. There is no prize money in these events, so they are irrelevant to the money list.
• Regular: Routine weekly tour events. The "regular" events do vary in status, but the table does not indicate which of them are more prestigious because this is a subjective matter. The relative status of the events is not based on the size of the prize fund to a very large degree, as this doesn't vary much. Some of the other factors which determine the status of a tournament are:
• Its position in the schedule, which influences the number of leading players that choose to enter.
• Its age and the distinction of its past champions.
• The repute of the course on which it is played.
• Any associations with "legends of golf". Four events in particular have such associations:
• The EDS Byron Nelson Championship, the only current event named after a golfer (Byron Nelson).
• The Bank of America Colonial, closely identified with Ben Hogan.
• The Bay Hill Invitational, closely identified with Arnold Palmer, and played at a resort he owns.
• The Memorial Tournament, founded by Jack Nicklaus, played on a course he designed, and annually honoring a selected "legend".
• Secondary: Events which are played in the same week as a higher status tournament and therefore have weakened fields and reduced prize money. They are often considered an opportunity for players on the bubble (near or below 125th or 150th) in the money list to move up more easily or to attempt an easier two-year exemption for winning a tournament.

There are also a number of events which are recognized by the PGA TOUR, but which do not count towards the official money list. Most of these take place in off season in November and December. This slate of unofficial events (which includes the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge, the Franklin Templeton Shootout, the Skins Game, etc.) is referred to as the "Challenge Season."

Related Topics:
PGA Grand Slam of Golf - Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge - Franklin Templeton Shootout - Skins Game

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